Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Craspedorrhynchus spathulatus Infestation in the Captive Population of Milvus migrans) at Zoological Garden, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

摘要

The chewing louse of genus Craspedorrhynchus (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) comprises of several species that are restricted to the avian order Falconiformes and Accipi-triformes found worldwide. The morphological features of this genus includes large, highly chitinised trapezoidal head, medially and laterally interrupted marginal carina, five segmented antennae with tapered apical end, pre-marginal and ventral carinae surpassing the anterior dorsal plate, three pairs oflegs terminating into tarsal claws, and well chitinised lateral abdomen. Treatment with the synthetic pyrethroid, cypermethrin, eliminated the lice infestation. The present study reports and documents the morphological characteristics and therapeutic managementof Craspedorrhynchus spathulatus (Giebel, 1874) chewing lice identified in the captive population of black kites (Milvus migrans) housed at the Zoological Garden, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.